Improvement in machines for cutting veneers



'ZSheets-Sheet 1.

H. T. BARTLETT. MACHIN ES vFOR CUTTIN G VEN EERS. N.174,o5e.

Patented Feb. 29

-INVENTOR.

2 Sheets-She et 2.

H'. T; BARN-ETT. `MACHINES FORUUTTING VENEERS. N.174,o5e.

Patented Feb. Z9

FIG 5.

al C H WITNE ses .PETERS, FHOTO-LITHOGRAFHER. WASHINGTON. D. C.

-ot' the different parts of the machine. 5 and 6 represent half and quarter logs, sho W- ing the grain of the wood, and the position of' 4the cutting-knife relatively thereto during the UNITED STATES PATENT GEEIGE.

.HENRY T. BARTLETT, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO GEORGE W. READ, OF SAME PLAGE.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES-.FOR CUTTING VE'NEERS.

Specification forming part of Letters PatentlNo. 174,056, dated February 29, 1876; application-filed December 14, 1875.

To. .all `whom it may concern Beit known that I, HENRY T. BARTLETT,

of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have-invented .a newand useful Machine for Cutting Veneers and Vother Lumber 5 and I do hereby declare the following to-be such a full and exact description `thereotas willenable othersskilled inthe art;

to which it pertains to construct the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a .partof this specification, and

to the letters of reference marked i thereonsimilarlletters indicating corresponding parts -in theidierent figures.

anism, connecting-rods, radius-rods, by means ot' which motion is imparted to the cuttingknife. Fig. 2 is a plan, showing the relative .arrangementof the reciprocating cutter, and

for holding devices, with the mechanism by which the latter is operated. a rear elevation, showing the arrangement of' the mechanism for feeding the `log to the cutter. Fig. 4L is an `end view, partly in section, and exhibits the generalrelative arrangement operation of cutting the log into veneers.

The nature and objects of my invention are as follows: In'the first place, to produce a machine which shall give a drawing cut or stroke with the veneer-cutting knife, variable in depth and length to suit the exigencies of the Work to be done; secondly, to hold the log to be cut steadily and tirmly invposition,

and-feed it forward under the `knife with perfeet accuracy, then to withdraw it as-soon as the cutis completed, to keep it fromithe edge of the knife during its upward stroke; and

therst part of my invention consists in the combination of a cutting-knife with a guide and presser bar or roll attached to and operatingwith a suitable frame, to whicha vertical v motion is imparted by cranks suitably connected, and a horizontal motion byione or more radial guide-rods.`

The second part of my invention consists in the means employed'or guiding the knife- Fig. 3 presents Figs.

"an improved-means for clamping the logs to be cut to the stay-log or face-plate of the machine by a traveling clamp 'head lor frame moving upon horizontal ways.

The sixth part of my invention consists of the devices which cause the log to recede from the knife after cach downward stroke, as hereinafter described.

The seventh part ot my invention consists in the construction and arrangement ot' the dcvices by which the horizontal movement of the cutting-knife is controlled, being the radial guide-rods attached to adjustable bearings in a frame, as hereinafter described. The machine is constructedas follows: A represents the-base, rectangular in shape, having an extension, E, upon one side, and which may be co'nstructedof` wood or iron,

care beingtakento give it `sufficient strength and rigidity to sustain Without change the strain-to which-it may be subjected when the superincumbent machinery is in operation. Tothis base the frame consisting of" the two pairs of uprights B B and C C are securely bolted. These are formed, preferably, of `castiron, those in the rear, C O, being inclinedforward at the top in such a manner as to brin g them in contact with those in front, to which they are securely attached. The frame 4is still further stift'eued by the transverse beams I and K, the beam K connecting the front pair of uprights B B, and the beam I the other pair, C C. The lower ends of all the uprights are bifurcated, thus givingthem a broader bearing upon the base A, and allowing. space for the pillar-blocks D', carrying the shaft N, to be placed upon the base within the bifurcation. The frame is still further strengthcned by the girts or panels G, placed at each endof the machine, between the front and rear uprights, and securely bolted thereto. M is the driving-shaft of the machine, and is carried in the journal-boxes D, which rest upon and are secured to the base A. This shaft may receiveits motion from any suit-able prime mover, and is provided with a pinion,'L,Which gears into, and imparts motion to, the toothed wheels O and O upon the shafts N and N. The toothed wheels are each provided with a crank-pin, P, to which is connected, by the connecting-rods Q, a reciprocating knifecarryin g frame, R. The wheels O and O', being provided with an equal number of teeth, are synchronous in their movements, thus causing .thecrank-pins P to occupy the same horizontal line at all timesand, consequently, retaining the frame R in a position parallel with such line. This frame is of metal, and is, preferably, cast in 4one piece, having an elongated rectangular opening through it for the .passage of the veneer after it is cut from the log. Above this opening, on the inner side, is

`formed a recess, to receive the cutting-knife' i, which is securely fastened therein. The top `of the opening in the frame R is inclined up- Y ward and outward, so as to present no obstacle to the passage of the veneer in its exit from the machine. The bottom of the opening is at and horizontal, carrying a presserbar, lc, which is moved forward by means of the screws m passing through lugs attached to the frame R, and acting upon the nuts l, secured to each end of the presser-bar. This Y.bar is provided with a sharp angle, which presses into the log from whichthe veneer is to be out a little below the edge of thehnife,

thus preventing the knife from checking or producing cracks in the veneer. This knifecarrying frame is also provided with dovetailed grooves upon its upper and lower edges, which are inclosed by the projecting lugs o upon the gibs or shoes z, thus allowing the frame R to have a horizontal motion upon the gibs, while they have a vertically-reciprocating movement on suitable ways formed upon the front of the supports C C. The horizontal movement is given to the knife-frame by the radial connecting-rods S, the lower ends of which are attached to sliding block U within the guideframes S. These blocks are made vertically adjustable by means of the screws V, the

lower ends ot' which are provided with bevelgear wheels W, gearing' into bevel-wheels upon the horizontal shaft X, carried in suitable bearings upon lrhe frames S. It will be apparent that by revolving this shaft X the blocks U, to which the lower ends of the radial connecting-rods S are attached by means of pins T, will be raised or lowered. These guideframes have also a reciprocatingmovement npon a dovetailed way formed upon part E, projecting from one side ot' the base A, the bot tom of the guide-frames being provided with a suitable groove and adjusting-screws, to lit the projecting way upon the base E, as shown at R. Motion is communicated to the guideframes` by means of an eccentric, a', upon the shaft N', through the eccentric rod b, roel@ shaft c, arm d, and connecting-rod c, attached to a pin, f, in a bar, which connects the two guide-frames.

It will be apparent that while the revolution ofthe shafts N and N give to the cuttingthrough the connecting-rods Q, it at the same time has a horizontal reciprocation through the agency'of the connections Sand their operatin g mechanism.

A vertically-adjustable table, J, moves upon suitable guideways within the frame, and is adjusted by means of the screw r, one of which is placed at each corner ofthe table, the'whole ously by means ofthe bevel-gears s and t upon the horizontal shafts w, upon one of which is placed a spur-gear, x, which 4connects with a similar gear-"wheel, w, upon the shaft y, revolving in bearings c, attached to the girt I of the frame, said shaft being provided -with a hand-wheel, bupon its outer end, by turning which the table is raised or lowered. The top ers, c', so embedded as to project slightly above its surface, upon which thelog to be cut rests, and by which its adjustment is facilitated. They may also beso arranged as to drop entirely below the surface of the table, if desired, so that the log during the process lof cutting may rest iirmly thereon.

The stay-log Y rests upon the table J, being retained in position thereon by a projecting tongue upon its under side, which enters a groove crossing the top of the table. Other w-grooves, d', are also formed across the table, in which the dogs 7c', intended for holding the bottom of the log of wood to be cut, move. These dogs, as well as the dogs g', which enter the top of the log, move in suitable guideways i', and are operated by the screws m. Other dogs, L', operated by screws in a similar manner to those just described, enter the ends of the log to be out and assist in retaining it in position. This stay-log receives two motionsone a regular feeding movement, by which it is carried forward the thickness of a veneer or other piece-of lumber at each cut, the other a retrograde motion, which takes the log out of the path of the knife -as it rises after each cut. In order to impart to it the first of these movements a cam, c, is secured to the rear end of the shaft N. This cam is provided with a groove, into which the pin y upon the lever 00 enters. One end of this lever oscillates upon a stationary fulcrum, F, secured tothe base of the machine; the other end is connected by the pin w to the connecting-bar c', the upper end of which is attached rier is provided with spring-pawls, which engage with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel r upon the screw-shaft o', which crosses the table and passes through a suitable nut in the frame a vertically-reciprocating movement` being so connected as to operate simultaneof the table is provided with two or more rollby the pin u to the pawl-carrier t. This carlof the log, the action guide of the stay-log downward]y-projecting Y, By this means the revolutions ofthe shaft N', acting through the cam d and connectingdevices, cause the pawl-carrier to oscillate, thus giving to the ratchet-wheel r and the screw to which it is attached an intermittent rotating movement, which causes the stay-log to move forward a certain distance ateach revolution of the driving-shafts, and, consequently, at each reciprocation of the knifeframe, thus causing the log to becut into veneers to move forward the exact distance necessary to form the lumber desired. In order 'to cut veneers or lumber of varying thickness, the pin a is made adjustable upon the pawl-carrier, so as to vary its distance from the point of oscillation of the latter, thus causing the pawls to move over a greater or less part of the periphery of the ratchet-wheel at each reciprocation, and, consequently, impar ing to the stay-log through the `screw a pro- .portional forward movement.

`The second movement of the stay-log refe'rred to, being its retraction during the up-` ward movement of the knife-frame, is secured through the following mechanism: A cam- `wheel, m, is placed upon the shaft N', and is providedwith` a cam-groove in its periphery, which receives a pin projecting' froln an arm.

l, secured to the vertical rack-shaft "l The upper end of this shaft has a spline of sufficient length to allow an arm,p". to rise and fall thereonwith the table J. To this arm is attached a lever, g. which connects it with atogglc, one end of which is connected by the pin c to the screw 0', which moves the stay-log forward in setting. The other end of the toggle is secured by the pivot-pin e to the supporting-bar d, which is, in turn, securely bolted to the rear side of thetable. By this arrangement each revolution of the shaft N will pass through the cam m, and the connecting devices act upon 'the toggle in such a manner as to draw lback'the stay-log during theA upward movement of the knife-frame, and force it outward as thc frame begins its descent, thus avoiding all danger of dulling the knife by rubbing against the veneer log during its ascent.

The face of the table J, next to the cuttingknife, is formed of a separate piece of metal, e', securedto the latter by suitable bolts, and may be of harder material, the better to withstand the extra wear caused by the frictions of vegetable acids, and corrosion caused by the escaping steam as each veneer is severed. It can at any time be removed and turned up by grinding` or other means, so as to keep the upper edge on the same plane as the table-top, and the angle parallel to the cut of the knife.

Having thus described the construction of the machine, its operation and the process of cutting veneers and other lumber upon it are as follows: The knife-frame, with its attachments properly adjusted, being raised to its greatest height by the mechanism arranged for the` purpose, andthe stay-log, with its clamps drawn out to their full extent, moved to a point upon the table farthest from the knife, the log, if of hard wood, having been properly steamed, is rolled upon the table generally fromoneend, 'and is then securely fastened to the'stay-log by the clamps. The cutting-table is then adjusted to any desired elevation by the mechanism provided for that purpose. The stay-log is then fed forward by the screw and its operating mechanism, carrying the log before it until it projects over the adjustable face or edge of the table, when the knife descends and severs the projecting portion, which may be a veneer or thicker lumber for various purposes. After the stroke, and when the cranks are turning their lower centers, the log is caused to recede from the knife by means of the devices and in the manner heretofore described, so asto prevent friction and unnecessary wear to the cuttingedge of the knife when it is returning across the face of the log. When the cranks are approaching their upper centers, and the knife has passed above the top of the log, the latter is returned to its former position, and is again fed forward the necessary distance to form the piece of lumber to be cut, and the cutting repeated until the whole or any desired portion of the log has been converted into veneer or other lumber.

If the nature of the wood has been previously determined, the radial, guide-rods may be set so as to give the knife themost advantageous draw; or, after a few cuttings have been made, in order to develop the quality and direction of the ber, and as these change during the cutting operation, the position of the guide-rods may be changed by the operator without stopping the machine, so as to increase or diminish the horizontal movement `or drawing cut of the knife as the exigencies of the case may demand.

j In cutting round logs the process maycontinue until the center or heart is reached, when they may be turned down on the straight surface or reversed, again commencing at the bark side; or they may be squared up by cutting from opposite sides7 and then proceeding as the nature of the wood and work may Suggest.

lt will be seen that in theprocess of slicing veneers through the log, the concentric rings representing the growth of the wood present a constantly-varying line to the direction of the cut, asis clearly shown by Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, in which the relative positions of the cutting-knife and grain of the wood is illustrated. The variable drawing motion 'of the knife enables the machine to accommodate itself to all the variations in the texture'of the material, and while it has no dead-point duringv the cut, which is continuous, it does its work with comparatively little friction upon the presser-bar, thereby saving' the power this fric tion consumes, which often 4amoun ts to double that required to force thr-y lrnife alone through the wood. Another novel and excellent feature of the machine is the adjustability of the table to any required height, so as to bring narrow logs into the tirst or longest part of the drawing stroke, and the facility with which logs of any shape, ivhether circular, scmicircular, or rectangular, may be secured to the stay-log by using the suitable fastenin gs, enables a great variety of work to be done upon the machine, and a saving of labor and time is thereby effected.

It will be evident that the machine may be so constructed as to give the motion to the log which is now given to the knife without departing from the principle of my invention; but I prefer the method of construction herein described as being the best.

I am aware that machines have been constructed in which a drawing cut has been given to the knife by means of radial guiderods, and by inclined guides to the knife-carrying frame; but both ot' these methods lacked the elementot' adjustability while the machine y was in operation, which is an essential feature 0f mine.

Having. thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, the following:

l. The combination of the knife t" with the reciprocating frame and horizontal adjustable presser-bar, as specified.

2. The reciprocating knife-carrying frame R, in combination with the gibs z and vertical guide upon the uprights B B, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The gibs L, provided with a recess and lugs o', as shown and described, for the purpose ot' guiding the knife-frame in its reciprocations.

.4. The radial rods S, in combination with their adjusting devices, as set forth.

5. The reciprocating frame R', in combination with the mechanism by which it -is operated.

6. The cutting-table J, inncombinationfwith the screws, gears, and shafts by which it is `rendered vertically adjustable.

7. The vertically-adjustable table, in combination with tbe reciprocating knife-frame R and their operating mechanisms, as described.

8. The vertically-adjustable table, in combination with the stay-log Y, and the devices by which 1t is fed forward toward and retracted from the cutting-knife.

9. The stay-log Y, in combination with the toggle and the mechanism by which it is operated, as and for the purpose specified.

10. The shaft N', cam a, lever x', and adjustable connections lv', in combination with the paWl-carrier t', ratchet-wheel rf, and screw o' for the purpose of feeding forward the staylog, as set forth.

11. The shaft N, cam m, arm Il, vertical rock-shaft i, sliding arm p', and connection g, in combination with the toggle and staylog, for the purpose of retracting the latter during the ascent of the cutting-knife, as described.

12. The shaft N', eccentrica, eccentric rod b, rock-shaft a, arm d', and connection e, in combination with the reciprocating frame R', radial rods S, and cutting-frame R, for the purpose of giving to the latter a horizontal movement or drawing cut,

as explained. i 13. rIhe shaft M, spur-gears L and 0, the latter provided with the crank-pins P, the connecting-rods Q. and cutting-frame It, iu combination with the radial rods S, adjustingblocks U, and reciprocating frame R', as and for the purpose set forth.-

14. The combination and arrangement of all the devices, as shown and described, for the purpose set forth.

Y HENRY T. BARTLETT. Witnesses:

GEO. W. READ, SAM. C. HICKEY. 

